Patent GB-191514032-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Gyrostatic Apparatus.
Inventor: GRAY JOHN
IPC: G01C21/18
Filed: 1915-10-04
Abstract: 14,032. Gray, J., and Gray, J. G. Oct. 4. Gyroscopic apparatus. -A gyroscope supported so as to be in stable, neutral or unstable equilibrium when it is not spinning is maintained with its axis vertical when it is spinning by means of an " erector " which is slowly rotated in the direction of spin and which comprises one or more masses which exert a couple about the instantaneous axis of precession when the gyroscope axis is out of the vertical; such a gyroscope may be used on aircraft to define the vertical or actuate stabilizing- planes, or on ships to support instruments, control a platform, or damp out rolling motion, or, in the case of ships to be used as ice-breakers, and by reversing the rotation of the erector, to produce rolling. Fig. 1 shows a construction of apparatus illustrating the principle of the invention. A gyroscope 1 rotates on bearings 2 in a frame 3 fitted with a peg 4 by which the apparatus is supported in a cup 5. The frame 3 is caused to rotate by the friction of the bearings 2 and carries a weight 7 which, when the gyroscope axis is considerably out of the vertical, keeps ahead of the vertical plane through the gyroscope axis and, by accelerating the precession, erects the gyroscope. Fig. 3 shows a gyroscopic pendulum in which the case 1 of a gyroscope is secured to a cylinder 2 carrying a disk 3, and the whole is carried by pivots 9 on a gimbal ring 10 resting on pivots 11. The erector 5 may be variously constructed and is rotated by a motor 4 attached to the disk 3. Weights 7, 8 may be adjusted on a rod 6 to alter the stability or the precessional period of the system. The erector, in one construction, Fig. 4, comprises four compartments 1 .. 4 of the shape shown, each containing a ball 6, the plane of the compartments being perpendicular to the gyroscope axis. When the gyroscope axis is out of the vertical, the compartments during rotation alternately move up-hill and down-hill, the balls in the compartments moving down-hill being at the inner ends of the compartments, and those in the compartments moving up-hill being at the outer ends of the compartments. The unsymmetrical arrangement of the balls produces a couple which accelerates or retards precession, according to whether the gyroscopic system is unstable or stable, and erects the pendulum, all the balls then arranging themselves at the outer ends of the compartments under centrifugal force and exerting no couple. In other forms, the erector comprises an annular ball race divided by one or more radial partitions, the balls being moved up-hill by the partitions and freely running down-hill so that the required couple is produced. In all these forms, the balls may be replaced by mercury or immersed in liquid. The erector may also comprise a hollow cylindrical box containing a viscous liquid, or one or more weights carried by radial rods secured to a sleeve loosely surrounding the spindle of the motor and rotated by the friction between the sleeve and spindle. As shown in Fig. 9, the erector comprises a weight 1 on a radial rod 2 secured to a sleeve 3 loose on the spindle 7 of the motor 4, the rod having a wheel 5 running on a track 8 attached to the pendulum. The rod is moved up-hill by an arm 6 and runs away from the arm when going down-hill. The gyroscope and erector may be carried by a frame pivoted on a gimbal ring in stable, neutral, or unstable equilibrium, and the erector may be driven from the gyroscope spindle by means of gearing. The pendulum may control a platform mounted on gimbals so that it is protected from rolling or pitching motion, either by controlling contacts in the circuit of an electric motor which forcibly moves the platform, or, as shown in Fig. 18, by mounting it on pivots 4 carried by the platform 6 pivoted at 8. In both cases, a second platform, pivoted on an axis transverse to, and carried by, the first platform, may be similarly controlled and protected from both rolling and pitching. As shown in Fig. 18, the pendulum is stabilized by a weight 3, but springs connecting the gyroscope casing 1 and the platform 6 may be used for this purpose. According to the Provisional Specification, the erector may be driven by the friction between the shaft of the gyroscope and a sleeve which surrounds it and carries the erector, or by means of vanes acted upon by the air currents set up by the gyroscope.